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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — the season
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. foot — a measure
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — of water
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com